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View Full Version : Will you continue to use Facebook after the recent news?



Harold Mansfield
04-05-2018, 10:52 AM
By now I'm sure everyone has heard at least something about Facebook being under fire for not protecting our information well enough and how Cambridge Analytica was able to exploit Facebook to steal data on millions of users AND their contacts. One the one hand we all knew that Facebook was a data collection company, but many of us had no idea the level of information that advertisers, or pretty much anyone else could get.

For me, it's not so much about the information. This isn't a new things when it comes to marketing and advertising. It's that it's connected to my name and email and that 3rd parties have access to my specifics for so long. A while back I stripped my Facebook profile of pretty much any info, and I don't have the app on my phone. I knew the app was scraping the info from my phone, tracking my location, and accessing my contacts a long time ago. It's also a battery hog. But I'm still a little pissed that thier goal of collecting data over rode common sense to make sure it was protected.

I have to use Facebook for work, but I'm wondering how others feel. Has anyone deleted their account?

turboguy
04-05-2018, 12:19 PM
I don't have that much info on Facebook that I was concerned about it at all. I do have my birthday, home town and current city but that is about it. I worry far more about some of the sites that have been hacked where they have had my credit card numbers.

Harold Mansfield
04-05-2018, 12:26 PM
I worry far more about some of the sites that have been hacked where they have had my credit card numbers.

Sadly that's happening left and right these days. I can't think of many companies who haven't been hacked at this point.

Paul
04-05-2018, 08:52 PM
By now I'm sure everyone has heard at least something about Facebook being under fire for not protecting our information well enough and how Cambridge Analytica was able to exploit Facebook to steal data on millions of users AND their contacts. One the one hand we all knew that Facebook was a data collection company, but many of us had no idea the level of information that advertisers, or pretty much anyone else could get.

For me, it's not so much about the information. This isn't a new things when it comes to marketing and advertising. It's that it's connected to my name and email and that 3rd parties have access to my specifics for so long. A while back I stripped my Facebook profile of pretty much any info, and I don't have the app on my phone. I knew the app was scraping the info from my phone, tracking my location, and accessing my contacts a long time ago. It's also a battery hog. But I'm still a little pissed that thier goal of collecting data over rode common sense to make sure it was protected.

I have to use Facebook for work, but I'm wondering how others feel. Has anyone deleted their account?

I'm a long time anti-big brother/govt person. For that reason I do not use facebook, linkedin, or any other "connected" social media service. I don't need to connect with new "friends", accumulate " likes" or have "followers". I know many enjoy social media or work through it. I just found the concept intrusive in general from the beginning. However, to be honest I have a facebook in my dog's name and occasionally log in if someone wants me to see something in particular.

On the other hand, I am surprised that anyone is surprised about the recent revelations. I'm about the least informed about social media and facebook but I always assumed that was what was happening. What did people expect when they turn over privacy? Obviously facebook is an advertising outlet, no different than tv or print advertising. It's all demographically targeted ads. Did everybody think facebook is a free service?

evolvingdigital
04-05-2018, 11:53 PM
Yes, at the end of the day it is the best social media platform to keep in touch with your family and friends.

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turboguy
04-06-2018, 05:48 AM
Yes, at the end of the day it is the best social media platform to keep in touch with your family and friends.



Yes, but not only that. For us old fogies it is the only way we can remember what we did yesterday.

Paul
04-06-2018, 11:25 AM
Yes, but not only that. For us old fogies it is the only way we can remember what we did yesterday.

That is of course, if we want to remember!

Harold Mansfield
04-06-2018, 11:37 AM
On the other hand, I am surprised that anyone is surprised about the recent revelations. I'm about the least informed about social media and facebook but I always assumed that was what was happening. What did people expect when they turn over privacy? Obviously facebook is an advertising outlet, no different than tv or print advertising. It's all demographically targeted ads. Did everybody think facebook is a free service?

I think most people understood the basic concept, but not the detail. We were used to data collection being general. If so many people watch this new station then that number of people must be of this political ideology. If more people in this area watch more than in that area, then this area must be ripe for these kinds of advertisers.

It's the level of detail about you personally, and not just part of a data group...that's the part most people didn't or still don't understand.

However, the easy answer is don't tell the "internet" anything you don't want it to know. Maybe the cat is already out of the bag, but that doesn't mean people can't start to do better and control (and hide) their information as best as possible.

Most of the info we give up is voluntary. Social media companies have been brilliant in making a game out of it that targets our need to be seen and liked. Absolutely brilliant. So many people WANT to be public. They WANT you to see their fabulous life ( or least what they are pretending to be a fabulous life), what they do, what they like, how they feel. Social media for many is the ultimate in satisfying our herd mentality, and also to "keep up with the Jones's" without even having to leave the house.

For all the bad stuff that we're talking about today, Social media...Facebook and Twitter specifically...has been responsible for some great social and even political change...both good and not so good...all over the world. It has engaged people in a way that just would not have ever happened with traditional communication.

But yeah...I'm still careful about what I share and keeping separation between business, personal and what I actually share or tell about myself.

If something good comes out of this, it's hopefully that people understand that the internet is open. It's public. It's worldwide. That there aren't many rules or many ways to stop other people from doing things. But more than anything...be responsible for your own privacy and security.

Paul
04-06-2018, 01:03 PM
Well said…

The internet and social media is a fantastic development. I think because I am older and was not born into the “internet age” I have a different perspective than many younger folks. As you said it has become a public platform of sorts for people to “share” their life. I guess with enough “likes” and “followers” you can start to feel famous and important. For me, it seems very odd to want to share my life with what may be mostly strangers.

I have a bunch of nieces and nephews, all obviously younger. A major part of all of their lives is wrapped around Facebook. Even many of the older folks too.
I do enjoy the internet for discussion on forums like this and its great for research. Email has made my business communications easy. Twitter has been great for politics. Regardless of your political position we get to hear first hand from our officials. Facebook is wonderful for keeping in touch and I know it has helped many launch and run businesses.

My concerns are , of course privacy, but also a social dependency on your online presence and “status” .

It’s not Facebook’s fault. It is our own. It has become too important in peoples lives. I am always amazed to see people being together, each with their head down, buried in their smart phones , almost ignoring each other.

The perverted dependence on Facebook as a social construct is clearly demonstrated by the very sad “online bullying” that sometimes ruins young people’s lives and occasionally even leads to drastic consequences. I can’t understand why someone would voluntarily continue to participate in Facebook when it is clearly a negative experience. It’s almost as if they think Facebook is mandatory.

Then of course it has become a hunting field for all kinds of predators.

I’m an old dude, and maybe a little nostalgic for the old “ways’ lol. As a kid social media was knocking on my buddy’s door to see if he could come out to play. Kids would meet up, play in the woods, start a baseball game, gather up a few coins and go play pinball. As you got older you’d try to meet girls at dances or parties or bars or wherever. You’d have to get up the nerve to ask a girl out in person or by phone. No hiding behind a computer! Then , wow, if she said yes you’d actually have to talk, face to face!

However, I know many, many romances have started online. One of my nieces met her husband online. I guess that’s just the way it is now.

Oh well, just a few thoughts from a pre-internet dinosaur.

turboguy
04-06-2018, 01:18 PM
As many data breeches as there have been Facebook doesn't seem like a big issue to me. I find the ones at Experian, Target and the like more alarming. I am sure with your birthdate (if you use the real one) it would be one step to stealing your identity but the info at other places seems more dangerous than that one.

I am a very old dude I guess butr like Paul I sometimes miss the old days but do appreciate how much the internet has changed our lives. With Facebook I have found several of the other old dudes and dudettes that I grew up with and wondered about. I had a couple of amazing visits with my old friends so for me Facebook has been a positive. I do rarely post anything in my personal account but still enjoy the posts others make and it has been a help to my business. I have had a fair amount of activity from my business page. I did also date some nice ladies I met online and then met my wife online. Of course she happened to be on the other side of the world but that is life and the world is much smaller than it used to be.

jeffscott
05-23-2018, 12:58 AM
It was a big issue on Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg was already interviewed but what's the latest from the said controversy?

mavericbird
05-25-2018, 07:20 AM
I am sure that I'm deleting my FB account as I cannot trust the company anymore. For my business presence I use inLinx, Twitter, and Instagram.

turboguy
05-25-2018, 08:48 AM
For me there are two issues involved. One is business data and one is personal data. There is nothing in my business data that I care who could access. I have my business data posted so many places there in nothing in there that they could not get elsewhere even on my own web sites. As far as personal data I didn't share anything that would concern me and may have altered the few things that could be harmful. So it is no issue for me.

As far as am I continuing to use it. My Facebook business page works for me. I connect with a lot of people and generate a lot of new leads. Some other sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter don't work for me. Shutting down my business page because I was concerned about someone finding our phone number would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face. As far as my personal page I have connected with a lot of long lost good friends from my childhood and that has been a real plus. I virtually never post on my page anyway. I think there are so many ways people with sinister intent can cause damage Facebook is just one and not one I worry about. I get more concerned with someone hacking credit reporting sites as happened not long ago. That is something to worry about.

Harold Mansfield
05-25-2018, 10:33 AM
For people like us that is the issue. Business vs. Personal. Especially if you're like me and use your real name as your business name.
Some of you may recall how I used to always beat the drum about separating your online personal life from your online business life and to NEVER combine them.

To not use your personal phone number for business.
To not use your personal social media profiles for business.
To have you own business email address.
A different business address.
And so on.

If you've never lived by those rules of separation whatever info is out there about you is probably a complete profile of your entire life, business and personal contacts and all of your actual contact information and it's all melded together.

Hackers come and go, every breech or misuse isn't the same, and they aren't all working together. Just because we've all had our information stolen or used nefariously at this point (and at this point we all have), doesn't mean that it's too late to start protecting yourself and cleaning up your digital life

Most criminal "hacks" are in 5 basic categories:

1. Theft/Identity theft
2. Ransom/Extortion
3. Hijacking your computer or device to be used later in another attack against someone else or the infrastructure as a whole.
4. Spying/Stalkers
5. Corporate/Government espionage.

And of course there's people who just look for easy targets for the challenge of it.

At this point on social media I've connected with anyone I'm going to connect with. Although Facebook and it's advertisers has been tracking me all over the internet for years, they do now allow you to delete the information they've accumulated about you. Do it.

The easiest way to social engineer someone is by their social media profiles. Anything you need to know about a target is usually there ( or can be deduced) from where they live, what they do on the weekend, to what school their kids go to.

If you're concerned start removing all of the crap that tells on you, your family, your favorite movies, where you've lived, your birthdate, anniversary, who you're related to, where you've worked, tagged in location based images, tagged on other people's profiles, and so on.

Set your privacy so that only people you are "friends" with can see your profile.
I took Facebook off of my phones months ago. I can deal with the tracking from my desktop. But the tracking of my location, contacts and communications is too much. I will never trust that or any social app on my phones ever again. It's also a huge battery hog.

Remember that what you post goes to everyone you know, and it's doubtful any of them practice good security habits. They can be the access point for a hacker to breach all of their friends..and usually are.

The name of the game is "Don't be an easy target".

You will never be able to stop a determined state hacker or someone who is targeting you specifically without help. But hopefully if you are the kind of public person...company officer, government, military personnel, police officer, actress, journalist, and so on....your organization has assisted with your training and security.